Newton devoted a significant portion of his life and attention to alchemy, writing over a million words on alchemical subjects and conducting experiments, because chemistry did not yet exist as a discipline and alchemy offered the richest schemata of possibilities available to him.
causalpending
Speaker
David BerlinskiEvidence Quote
“When Newton was writing the Principia... chemistry really didn't exist... He turned to the tradition that seemed to offer him the richest schemata of possibilities and that was alchemy.”
Source
The Magician’s Twin, with David Berlinski, Stephen Meyer, and James Orr | Uncommon Knowledge— Hoover InstitutionCreated: 8/11/2026, 1:45:57 AM
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